New Register of licensed electrical workers

If you employ electrical workers, from 1 March 2008 new laws mean you need to keep a register of licensed electrical workers.

The Electrical Safety Act 2002 was amended late last year requiring employers and selfemployed
persons to ensure workers are appropriately licensed and to keep a register of licensed workers.

The register of licensed workers kept by the employer must be:

• available to an inspector for immediate inspection when requested
• held for at least five years after the holder ceases to be engaged by the employer, and
• updated within seven days after notification of a change in any of the prescribed details.

The register must include:

• the holder’s name
• the number of the licence or, if not issued in Queensland, the number, code or another way of identifying the licence and the jurisdiction in which it was issued
• the class of the licence
• if the licence is a restricted electrical work licence—the type of electrical work stated on the licence
• the conditions or restrictions included in the licence, and
• the date the licence expires.

These details are readily obtained from the actual electrical licence.

Licence changes must be notified to employer

Holders of electrical work licences engaged to perform or supervise electrical work for an employer or a self-employed person must notify their employer in writing of any of the following changes within fourteen days of it happening.

• If the electrical work licence is suspended or cancelled, surrendered, expired and not renewed, or amended in a way that changes the authorised work or activities or the conditions or restrictions applying to the work or activities.
• If the electrical work licence is renewed or reinstated.
• If any other prescribed details (see above) for the holder change.

These changes reinforce safe work practices by ensuring that anyone undertaking electrical work is correctly licensed with verifiable details maintained in a way that is easily checked. The Act now also includes a range of penalties of up to $40,000 for breaches.

The Electrical Safety Office will be monitoring compliance with these new provisions.

There is no set format for the register and it may be kept in electronic form.